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Emmanuel Macron was elected France’s youngest head of state since Napoleon last night after beating his far-Right rival Marine Le Pen in an emphatic result that will have far-reaching consequences for Brexit and Europe.

Projections gave 39-year-old Mr Macron almost two thirds of the vote, showing a clear path to the Élysée Palace for the pro-EU centrist who was a political unknown until three years ago and has never held elected office.

Addressing the nation, a sober Mr Macron immediately reached across the divide to Le Pen voters, saying he heard the "anger, anxiety and doubts" that many had expressed.

But he did not shy away from his internationalist, pro-EU agenda, saying: "I will defend Europe; it is our civilisation which is at stake...I will work to rebuild ties between Europe and its citizens."

Later Mr Macron took the stage to the strains of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, the European Union anthem, in the courtyard of the Louvre museum.

He said France was facing an "immense task" to rebuild European unity, fix the economy and ensure security against extremist threats. “Europe and the world are waiting for us to defend the spirit of Enlightenment, threatened in so many places,” he told the crowd, as his his wife Brigitte and their extended family joined him.

Theresa May discussed Brexit with Mr Macron in a phone call late last night, Downing Street said. The Prime Minister "reiterated that the UK wants a strong partnership".

“France is one of our closest allies and we look forward to working with the new president on a wide range of shared priorities,” the statement said.

Mr Macron is expected to drive a hard bargain over Brexit, striking a strident note during his campaign by warning that negotiations would be “no walk in the park” and that Britain would be left in “servitude” as a result of leaving the EU.

However, the result was welcomed by some senior Conservatives who argued Mr Macron would bring much-needed stability to Europe ahead of the Brexit negotiations.

“We don’t want to be negotiating with an EU in existential crisis – which it would be if Le Pen had won,” said Crispin Blunt, the Tory chairman of the Foreign Affairs select committee.

European leaders rushed to welcome the victory of Mr Macron who had flown EU flags at rallies throughout his campaign and has promised to lead a ‘rebirth’ of the European project.

Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, had a “very warm” call with Mr Macron, his team reported while the German chancellor called his election a “victory for a strong, united Europe”.

Ms Le Pen’s party had made it clear they were gunning for at least 40 per cent of the vote. She failed to achieve such heights, but her performance maintained her record of improving the Front National’s score in every election since she became leader in 2011.

With around 11 million votes in her favour, Ms Le Pen, 48, won more than twice the amount her estranged father and FN co-founder, Jean-Marie, mustered in 2002. Ms Le Pen said the “historic and massive result” turned her “patriotic and republican alliance” into the “main opposition force against the new president’s project”.

French kiss: passionate Macron supporters celebrate their new president

Screams of joy, kisses and rousing dance music.

A wave of human emotion wafted across the palatial esplanade of the Louvre Museum on Sunday night as thousands celebrated the victory of president-elect Emmanuel Macron - and the defeat of his far-right rival, Marine Le Pen.

Across town at a wooded chalet, Le Pen supporters remained combative, pledging to turn her party's strongest-ever electoral score into a major opposition force.

"Relief, relief, relief! There was a fear that the French would choose nationalism. It's been a difficult moment - the country is so divided. The atmosphere of the election - while not exactly civil war - was of a deep clash of ideas," 20-year-old student Alice Whitehead said as she partied at the Louvre.

Marine Le Pen claims victory in defeat and says Front National now main opposition force in France

Rory Mulholland reports from the Le Pen HQ last night:

There was dismay in the huge Chalet du Lac restaurant in a Paris park - where the party was holding its soirée électorale - when the provisional results of the election were announced at precisely 8pm local time.

But there was little sign of resignation or defeatism among the hundreds of Front National supporters present.

They booed when Mr Macron’s victory was announced, but quickly broke into a rendition of La Marseillaise, the national anthem, and cheered wildly when their candidate took to the stage to speak.

“This result makes my heart ache, it disappoints me,” said one supporter who would only give her first name, Chantal.

But many others were optimistic. Eric, a 26-year-old student, who said he was thrilled by what he called a “historic score” and said he was certain the story would triumph in the parliamentary elections due next month.

Most people at the event believed that the result was simply another milestone in the relentless advance of the party Ms Le Pen has spent years trying - and largely succeeding - to make more palatable by ridding of it of the xenophobic and anti-semitic elements that characterised it during her father’s reign.

How papers reacted to Macron's win

Liberation (France)

An early edition front page of Liberation, the left-leaning French newspaper jointly founded by the late philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, simply declared "Well played," alongside a portrait of Mr Macron and "Well done" alongside a photograph of Ms Le Pen's back.

Le Figaro (France)

Newspaper Le Figaro features a photograph of a smiling Emmanuel Macron with the play on words "win by walking" playing on the name of Mr Macron's movement En Marche! (On the Move).

Ode to Joy and promises to 'serve with love' at rousing Louvre party for France's Macron

David Chazanreports:

Emmanuel Macron walked solemnly into the courtyard of the Louvre museum to the strains of Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’, the European Union anthem, amid rapturous cheering by tens of thousands of supporters.

The symbolism was evident. Mr Macron favours EU reform but remains a fervent supporter of the bloc.

The first foreign leader he spoke to after his victory was Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, in what was described as a "warm" phone call.

His supporters waved tricolour flags, cheered and jumped for joy after waiting for hours to greet the fresh-faced president-elect. At 39, he will be France’s youngest head of state since Napoleon.

Macron supporters at the LouvreCredit:
Getty

Under the gaze of the classical statues on the museum’s ornate facade, he ascended a stage in front of the glass pyramid where tourists enter the Louvre.

“Thank you for fighting with courage and perseverance for so many months,” he said. “You’ve won. France has won.”

Emmanuel Macron’s wife, his former drama teacher Brigitte, to take centre stage as France's First Lady

David Chazan writes:

As his drama teacher, Brigitte Trogneux directed Emmanuel Macron’s stage debut in a school play at the age of 15.

As his wife, she mentored, coached and advised him during his presidential campaign.

As first lady, she will assume a powerful role that Mr Macron’s aides compare to that of Michelle Obama during her time in the White House.

French President elect Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Trogneux celebrate on the stage at his victory rally near the Louvre in ParisCredit:
Reuters

He often refers to his wife, who is 24 years his senior, as his intellectual soulmate and confidante. Mr Macron, 39, says he will govern more effectively if he is happy — and that means having Brigitte at his side.

Macron: France facing 'immense task' to rebuild European unity

Macron says that France is facing an "immense task" to rebuild European unity, fix the economy and ensure security against extremist threats.

Speaking to thousands of supporters from the Louvre Museum's courtyard, Macron said that Europe and the world are "watching us" and "waiting for us to defend the spirit of the Enlightenment, threatened in so many places."

Macron, who has never held public office and just founded his political movement a year ago, said "everyone said it was impossible. But they didn't know France!"

He also promised to work to unify France after a bruising presidential campaign and serve the country "with love."

His wife Brigitte then came up on stage with him, and she kissed his hand and waved to the crowd.

Macron addressing the nation

Markets breathe 'sigh of relief' on back of Macron victory

French and European markets are set for a strong week as the french election results saw Emmanuel Macron succeed in his bid for the presidency. This pushed the euro up against the dollar as investors welcome the pro-EU economic reformer into the Elysee Palace, Tim Wallace Bradley Gerrard report.

The euro went above $1.10 - the first time it has done so since the US election result - after opening at $1.09 and the single currency also surged against the pound, hitting 84.9p from an opening level of 84.7p.

Merkel and Macron in 'warm' phone call

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman says she has called Emmanuel Macron to congratulate him on his victory in the French presidential election.

Spokesman Steffen Seibert said Merkel "praised his stance for a united and open European Union during the campaign" and that "the decision of the French voters is a clear statement of support for Europe."

Seibert's statement said Merkel "looked forward to working together with the new president on the basis of trust in the spirit of the traditional German-French friendship."

Mariano Rajoy congratulates Macron

Mr Rajoy, the Spanish prime minister, sent a telegram congratulating President-elect Macron on his victory and expressing conviction that his “reformist proposals, firm defence of the process of European integration and the solid support received from the electorate” augurs well for a “strengthening of the European Union in a crucial moment in its history”.

Juncker "rejoicing" after Macron victory

Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission congratulated Mr Macron, acknowledging a "difficult" campaign in which "diametrically opposed" views of the future had clashed.

"For my part, I rejoice in the idea for a strong and progressive Europe that you have defended," Mr Juncker wrote, adding that he looked forward to Mr Macron carrying this forward into the debate on the future of Europe during his presidency.

Ecstatic Macron supporters wave EU and French flags

Le Pen admits defeat

Failed Dutch far-Right candidate: You'll win next time, Marine

Geert Wilders, who stood as a Right-wing populist in the Dutch elections but lost out to Mark Rutte, has offered his commiserations to Ms Le Pen. He went on to predict both of them would win in the next election.

Vive La France. Congratulations to new President, Emmanuel Macron on his decisive victory over the hard right. #frenchelection

Could abstentions prove key to a Macron win?

It was thought that Mr Macron could build a larger voting base than Ms Le Pen, as he was expected to mop up votes in the second round from those who support mainstream Right and Left candidates in the first.

But it appeared last night that a large number of supporters for the conservative, Francois Fillon, and the far-Left Jean-Luc Melenchon stayed at home on election day.

And a vast number chose to spoil their ballots or abstain at the polls - as many as 29% of voters, according to one estimate.

Timelapse shows voters at a Paris polling station

French media refuses to cover Le Pen's speeches

Libération newspaper says it is boycotting the electoral events of Marine Le Pen this evening - whether she wins or loses - in solidarity with other French and foreign media outlets who have been refused access to them.

The left-wing daily says it will not carry any coverage of the events, during which Ms Le Pen is due to make a speech after the election results are announced, because the Front National has refused access to the gathering in a park in the east of Paris tonight to about a dozen media organisations.

"These anti-democratic measures, which are also contrary to the right to keep the public informed, must stop, as must the intimidation of journalists in (Le Pen) political rallies," wrote senior Libération editor Johan Hufnagel.

Investigation launched after Macron data hack

Paris prosecutors are investigating the hacking attack on presidential frontrunner Emmanuel Macron's campaign that led to thousands of files being leaked online, a source close to the case has told AFP.

The source said the probe was opened on Friday, the same day as the flood of documents were posted on the internet ahead of Sunday's run-off vote.

A picture taken in Paris, on May 5, 2017, shows vandalised campaign posters of French presidential election candidate for the En Marche ! movement, Emmanuel Macron.

Can Le Pen still beat Macron?

The Telegraph's data team has taken a close look at polling results and voter habits to see whether Ms Len Pen could pull off a shock victory today.

Macron is still widely expected to be able to build a broader voting base than anti-establishment Marine Le Pen. This is due to the fact that many of the first-round supporters of conservative François Fillon and far-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who collectively attracted 39.5 per cent of the vote, are expected to now switch to Macron.

Why this election will shape Brexit Britain's future

This mercurial election, in which the establishment parties of the Left and Right appear to have fallen by the wayside, will shape the coming Brexit negotiations and could – if far-Right Front National (FN) leader Marine Le Pen wins – even determine the future of the EU itself, writes Europe Editor Peter Foster.

Protest voting: a cautionary tale

This voter is getting a substantial amount of flak on Twitter for saying she voted Le Pen as she just wants to "p*** people off."

Pundits say a potential risk to Mr Macron's victory, which seems likely at this stage, would be a surge in disgruntled voters who lost their top choice in the first round choosing Le Pen to give the establishment a kicking.

This voter's aim seems to be simply winding people up - she has already got what she wished for.

Blandine as she left mass: "I'm voting Le Pe to piss people off. I don't believe she'll solve anything, I just want to piss people off." pic.twitter.com/ZXr0CDnUzO

The politics of winning

Where does one celebrate victory after winning the French presidency? The victor has to be very careful not to send the wrong message - and get off to a bad start in the new job - with his or her choice of venue.

Celebration sites have a huge symbolic power, and both Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen are seeking to break with the past and the traditional left-right divide.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy

Nicolas Sarkozy got blasted for being far too bling bling when the conservative politician chose the fabled Fouquet's restaurant on the Champs Elysées after he won the presidency in 2007, and Mr Macron was criticised for partying in the fashionable Rotonde restaurant after his first round win two weeks ago.

The centrist candidate has opted for the dignified Esplanade du Louvre, the courtyard of the museum in central Paris, to make an appearance and a speech to cheering crowds if he wins tonight.

French presidential election candidate for the far-right Front National (FN) party Marine Le Pen (C)

He steered well away from both the Bastille and République squares, which are both associated with the left, and from Place de la Concorde, where Mr Sarkozy gave a victory speech in 2012 before heading to the high-society party in Fouquet's.

Ms Le Pen plans to celebrate at the Chalet du Lac restaurant in the Bois de Vincennes, a huge park in eastern Paris, if she comes out on top tonight. She is notably staying away from the area around the Paris Opera, where her firebrand father and founder of her far-Right Front National, Jean-Marie le Pen, would every year make a high-profile speech on may Day.

Watch: Carla Bruni sings national anthem and urges French to get out and vote

Carla Bruni, the pop singer wife of ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy, has posted a video of herself singing the Marseillaise to encourage people to go out and vote in today's presidential election.

The short video post on the Instagram account by the former supermodel shows the hand of her young daughter, Giulia Sarkozy, drawing a French tricolour flag while, off screen, her mother sings the French national anthem.

Mr Sarkozy has called on voters to back Emmanuel Macron in order to defeat the far-Right leader Marine Le Pen.

Tiny French island fights for right to keep voting

The result there is unlikely to swing the presidential election one way or another, but locals and people with holiday homes on the island, which lies off the Normandy and Brittany coasts, insist on maintaining their right to exercise their democratic duty there.

Poll station manager Frederic Legrand stands at the entrance

Many holiday home-owners and the local hotel owner have registered to vote on Chausey, bringing the total number of registered voters to around fifty.

"We participate in the economic life (of the island) and it's important to also participate in maintaining political and democratic life here," said Vincent et Laurence Megale, the owner of the Hôtel du Fort et des Iles.

Poll station manager Frederic Legrand prepares to eat a croissant

He opens his establishment from March to October and spends the rest of the year in the south of France.

In the first round of voting on April 23, François Fillon was in pole position with 18 votes in Chausey, Emmanuel Macron got 17, Jean-Luc Mélenchon got four, and Marine Le Pen got just one.

Daniel Hannan: President Le Pen would be a disaster - and she's not even Right-wing

Let’s get one thing clear at the outset, demands Daniel Hannan in his column today.

Marine Le Pen is not “far-Right”. She is not, in any meaningful sense, Right-wing at all. She wants wealth taxes, higher social spending, limited working hours, worker control of companies, tariffs.

The garrulous agitator is Right-wing only in the BBC sense of “baddie” – a designation which the corporation applies to everyone from the revolutionary ayatollahs in Iran to the Stalinist nostalgics in Russia.

She wants to give French nationals priority in jobs, housing, and welfare, slap extra taxes on foreign workers and imports, negotiate with the EU for return of “full sovereignty” for France, hold a referendum on "Frexit", and possibly stop using the euro as the national currency.